China issues fresh blue alert concerning blizzards

The meteorological authority in China has reissued a blue alert for blizzards, predicting severe snowfall in the provinces of Hunan and Jiangxi this Wednesday.

The regions expected to be most impacted include the central and southern parts of Hunan, as well as the southern and western sectors of Jiangxi. They will experience major snowfall from Wednesday until Thursday morning, as reported by the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

According to the NMC, blizzards are set to drop up to 10 cm of snow in certain areas of these regions.

Meanwhile, the NMC has again issued a blue alert for unusually low temperatures in central, southern, southwestern, and eastern parts of the country. From Wednesday to Thursday, some areas, namely, parts of Henan, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, will experience a minimum daily temperature exceeding 5 degrees Celsius lower than the historical average for this time of year.

The NMC advises residents to restrict outdoor activities and urges local authorities to prepare against potential risks such as icy roads and agricultural freezing conditions.

Furthermore, local governments have been beckoned by the NMC to be ready for the upcoming blizzards.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Emergency Management, along with another government agency, triggered a Level IV national emergency in response to disasters instigated by low temperatures, rain, snow and freezing conditions, especially in Hubei and Hunan provinces in central China.

The Ministry of Emergency Management stated that approximately 20,000 disaster relief items, including cotton-padded quilts, had been sent to Hunan.

China operates a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, in which red indicates the most severe weather conditions, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.

(Cover image sourced from CFP)